Chapter 1 - THE RED FOLDER BEHIND THE WALL
Dante Moretti had lived in his family's Chicago mansion for twenty years.
And a housekeeper who had worked there for seven months had just told him about a secret safe inside his own study.
For the first time since Alessia Romano entered the library, the feared mafia boss looked genuinely disturbed.
"Show me."
Alessia remained beside the desk.
"Show you what?"
"The wall."
She glanced toward the closed door.
"What about Bellini?"
Dante reached for his phone.
"Marco."
His security chief answered immediately.
"Boss?"
"Keep Lorenzo Bellini in the east sitting room. Nobody questions him. Nobody lets him contact anyone outside the house."
"Understood."
"And Marco?"
"Yes?"
"If he tries to leave, call the police. I want everything documented."
Dante ended the call.
Alessia studied him.
"You really believe me?"
"I believe a man who has managed my finances for twelve years knew about a safe I didn't."
"That doesn't mean he stole anything."
"No," Dante replied. "But it means I have questions."
Five minutes later, they stood inside the private study.
Dark mahogany shelves lined the walls.
A photograph of Dante's late mother rested beside a silver clock.
Alessia pointed behind the desk.
"There."
Dante approached the wood paneling.
"Where exactly?"
She leaned beside him and pressed a small brass ornament beneath the molding.
A quiet click echoed through the room.
A narrow section of wall moved outward.
Dante stared.
Behind it sat an old steel safe.
His mother's initials were engraved above the lock.
B.M.
Bianca Moretti.
Dante touched the engraving.
"My mother designed this room."
Alessia glanced at him.
"Maybe she had the safe installed."
"She would have told me."
"Unless she couldn't."
He looked at her.
That simple possibility seemed to strike him harder than any accusation.
Dante examined the lock.
There were scratches around the keyhole.
Recent scratches.
"Bellini's been opening it."
Alessia nodded.
"I saw someone open it last night. I couldn't see his face, but he wore a dark suit."
"And the cufflink?"
"It fell when he bent to pick something up."
Dante reached for his phone again.
"Marco, bring our forensic consultant. And get me the original architectural plans for this room."
He turned back toward Alessia.
"You did the right thing telling me."
She laughed without humor.
"I nearly lost my job for it."
His expression darkened.
"That won't happen again because of this incident."
Alessia studied him.
"Can I ask something?"
"Go ahead."
"Why would Bellini want a red folder?"
Dante looked toward his mother's photograph.
"I don't know."
But his voice suggested he was beginning to suspect.
His phone vibrated.
A message appeared from his attorney, Rebecca Sloan.
We found the original property records. Your mother ordered the concealed compartment installed eleven years ago.
Dante frowned.
Eleven years ago.
The year Bianca Moretti died.
Another message followed.
Dante, there's something you need to know. The installation was completed three days before her death.
Alessia saw his expression change.
"What is it?"
Dante slowly lowered the phone.
"My mother didn't hide that safe for valuables."
He looked toward the wall.
"She was hiding something from someone."
Then Alessia noticed a small inscription beneath the safe.
May you like
A sentence scratched into the metal.
If Dante finds this, Lorenzo has already betrayed us.
